1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a feeder apparatus for timber harvesters where the feed-in movement, parallel to the log, is generated with a rotating, preferably three strand roller chain which has log grabbing members such as, for example spikes, attached to the outer plates of the roller links of the outer strands. In the following, the roller chain including its grabbing members is referred to as a track.
2. Brief Description of the Background of the Invention Including Prior Art
In tracks, the loading force between the track and its bed presents a problem. Further, it is difficult to support a track in the area where the driving and turning wheels meet the bed. In this area, the cogs of the driving and turning wheels require some space, meaning that the bed cannot extend seamlessly into the turning and driving wheels. Further, in conventional tracks, the track elements tend to move to an upright position since the distance to the grabbing spike, placed perpendicularly to the direction the track is pulled, on top of the pulling link and the track element, is considerable as compared to the space between the joints of the track element. When the chain is pulled, a moment is created which tends to force the front edge of the track element up and the rear section of the element down. Simultaneously, the loading force to which the track and the bed are subjected becomes localized.